Wolves Women's midfielder Helen Dermody compares her start in football to what she experiences today as she steps out in the Old Gold.
STARTING OUT
First team
I started playing when I was about six and I got into football just by watching my brother and my dad play really. And then I went and played with one of my friends for a boy’s team called Amington Boys.
First ground
It was completely grassroots football and because I was the only girl in a boy’s team, I had to get changed on my own in my own changing room. There weren't very many girls’ teams when I was growing up so I had to play in a boys team and it was just proper grassroots football playing with boys.
First icon
Frank Lampard is the one for me. Young girls usually ask me about my female footballing idols, but when I was growing up I didn’t really watch women’s football because it wasn’t accessible. So, it was just men’s football I was watching, and Lampard was the one who stood out to me. His work rate on the pitch was great, he contributed from box to box. and he played in my position. Plus, he had to work hard to get to the very top!
First challenge
Yeah, there were barriers when I was growing up. Obviously, I had to play in a boys’ team when I was really young and had to get changed in a different place to them and I could only play in a boys’ team until I was 10. So, I’d just started getting settled in that team and then as soon as I turned 10, I was forced to leave and join a girls’ team. Soon after that was when I got into a centre of excellence at Coventry and stayed at Coventry until I turned professional.
Progression
Incredibly, I wish I was 15 years younger! When I was growing up there wasn’t a chance to have a career playing football if you were a woman. You played football because you love football, and it was simply just a hobby that you enjoy. But now, it’s a career for a lot of women and you can have that as your full-time job. That’s something that any young girl, or boy, can aspire to get to.
CAREER
Best moment
It has to be winning the league in the first season in tier three. To win the league was a great achievement. I was at Coventry for 17 years and to go to a new team after all that time and be welcomed by all the girls and all the staff was really nice and felt natural.
Best result
Probably the 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest last season, where I scored one of the best goals of my career. One of the twins had it on the right side and was driving with the ball and I was making a late run on the edge of the box. She played it across, I controlled it on my chest and volleyed it into the top corner. It wasn’t too bad!
Best opponent
I would have to say Manchester City. It was around three years ago in a pre-season friendly while I was at Coventry, and we played at the Academy Stadium where Man City Women play. The facilities were amazing and obviously we were playing against the best players in the Women's Super League. They’re just another level, we lost 5-0 but just to see where you are compared to that level was great.
Best stadium
I’ve played at quite a few nice stadiums. St Mary’s was a nice stadium to play at, playing against Southampton in the FA Cup. We beat Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park which was massive to beat them at home, so I’d say one of those two would be the best stadiums I’ve played at.
Advice
Just enjoy football. It’s so much better to play football with a smile on your face because you enjoy it. The higher up you go, the more serious it gets and the older you get, it becomes more serious and sometimes you forget the enjoyment part which is why you play football. So, I’d say just enjoy every moment about football.
